24 Hour EEG Update

Both times when Andy has had electrodes put into his hair, prior to the 24 hour EEG, he did fine with the process of getting everything set up. He didn't fuss at all and seemed to enjoy the technicians messing with his hair and ears. But not this time. The smell of the permanent glue seemed to bother Andy, along with the sound of the air gun they were using to dry the gauze onto his head. The sound set him off big time and I tried to keep him calm with singing and toys while the technician tried to finish up. The whole last 15 minutes he was screaming everytime she used the air sprayer.






After that, keeping him entertained in the room wasn't too bad. I brought a suitcase full of toys, and I asked the medical assistant if they could bring in a high chair for him and that was really helpful for entertaining. Getting him to fall asleep in the hospital was HORRIBLE. He cried for three hours, before conking out. I would try to soothe him every 10 minutes, then in longer increments of waiting, but he was really pissed off and couldn't be calmed down. Then he got the kid next door screaming.

When he finally fell asleep at midnight, I had just fallen asleep when Andy started kicking like crazy in his sleep. He was making so much noise, I was surprised he didn't wake himself up. It was like he was running in his sleep, and his hospital metal crib was rattling like crazy. The nurse came into the room asking "what's going on", and I jumped up and said "I don't know". I didn't realize he kicked so much in his sleep. The nurse told me "you deserve the mother of the year award". It was nice to hear instead of the standard "I don't know how you do it", which we've all come to love hearing. We don't have a choice, if you're a committed mother anyway. Andy woke me up every hour or half hour with his crazy kicking. I would jump up off the couch and say "what the hell", then I'd realize it was just him.

The doctor wanted us to stay another night, but I said no way. I saw several of his staring spells when we were there and documented them, and they got to see him all night long sleeping. So, I felt that it should be enough data.  They actually got 30 hours of recorded data in on him before we were disconnected from the electrodes. He hated this too, and screamed as they were pulling them out of his hair. We then showered him off quickly, just to get rid of the smell of the solution they used. He conked out immediately after putting him in the stroller. The poor thing just wanted to go home.


My family was helpful during our stay at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield. They had a children's playroom for my daughter to play in, and my husband and I took turns taking her there and my mom did too. I also got to leave the room a few times to walk around in the hospitals indoor garden/atrium, while my mother-in-law watched Andy, which was really helpful. I even left the hospital while MIL watched him to go to Subway and come right back, we were only gone for 30 minutes.

It wasn't so bad with all the help from our family. The neurologist feels 98 percent sure that Andy isn't having any epileptic activity or irritations. Good to know. Another thing ruled out.